Triumph and Loss on the Bruce Trail
Completing Beaver Valley Section
The
'stealth' part of stealth camping generally requires one to walk until dark and
then be up and packed before dawn so as to be less evident. As such, we were
awake at 5:30 am and packed up by 6 AM – though after trekking nearly 40
kilometres yesterday our bodies still hurt a great deal. Sitting on the side of
the trail beside our backpacks we made our breakfast. We quickly mixed up cold brew coffee from Tim
Hortons, gobbled down the last of our peanut butter and wraps, and got ready
for what was actually one of our shortest days on the Bruce Trail yet.
Our
estimate for today’s trek was that we had between 10 and 12 kilometres to cover
in order to get back to our rental car, which we hoped was still parked at
Blantyre. While this was indeed a short
distance with somewhat rested and refreshed bodies this morning, we felt that
it would have been a real challenge yesterday evening after the day’s already
long venture. If all went well, today’s
hike would bring us to the conclusion of the Beaver Valley section and about 3
kilometres into the Sydenham section.
There we planned to pick up our car, drive to Owen Sound for a well-deserved shower, do our laundry, and rest for the evening, before returning to
the trail tomorrow to continue trekking from where we left off in Rocklyn Creek
back into Owen Sound.
Thankfully
(not to give anything away) today’s short hike was essentially an easy stretch
of walking north to Griersville, where the trail turned west, heading to our
destination of Rocklyn Creek Management Area, which marked the end of the
Beaver Valley Section and the beginning of the Sydenham Section. In truth, had we had more energy in us
yesterday, and the unseasonably warm weather had not been so draining, we could
have (and likely should have) pushed for the Ambrose Camp area to conclude our
trek at an official camp area. We had
even been tempted to really push yesterday, but the end result would have been
a 40+ km day, which we simply did not have in us.
Regardless,
yesterday was yesterday and today we had only the trail in front of us. Packed and ready, we set off with our goal in
sight.
Griersville Management Area
Setting
out, we continued on the trail through the maple forest where we had camped
last night and navigated around lush green wetlands and marshes. There we saw Wood Duck boxes, the result of a
regional research project or conservation initiative. Although we didn't spot
any Wood Ducks, there were a number of Mallards paddling about in the shallow
water, as well as a couple of Green-winged Teal. It was wonderful to see that these wetlands
had been and preserved, as so many of them are increasingly getting filled it
for agricultural development and urban expansion. This is a growing problem, because wetlands
are essential for improving the quality of our water, aiding in flood control,
limiting erosion, and providing habitat for essential species.
In quick
succession, the Bruce Trail crossed a number of roadways and concessions as it
led us across the top of the escarpment.
En route, the trail continued across rocky outcroppings while keeping us
under beautiful tree cover. Our largest
challenge throughout this stretch was that yesterday’s brief rain shower had
made some of the rocks slippery, which in turn required us to remain constantly
aware of how we walked and where we placed our feet.
Entering
open fields, we quickly discovered that the evening dew – enhanced by
yesterday’s rain – meant that the tall grasses and underbrush that the trail
meandered through were still very damp.
As a result, within minutes we were soaked from the waist down and
walking in sodden hiking boots. And so it was in this manner – very wet,
watching the ground under our feet, and crossing concessions that we pushed
on.
Anthea’s Waterfall
Crossing
the 7th line roadway, the Bruce Trail traced the edge of
agricultural fields under a dense canopy of trees. At one point, we crossed a fast-running
stream over a wonderful wooden bridge.
Once across, we took the opportunity to refill and treat some water, having
used the last of ours for breakfast almost 2 hours previously. Having collected and begun purifying our
water at the top of the short waterfall, we spotted a plaque noting that this
waterway is named for Anthea Catherine East.
Purportedly, she was the daughter of Dr. Tom East, one of the founders
of the BTC, who was killed in a bike accident at a very young age.
Standing
at the top of the short water drop-off, we again spotted the two young ladies
that we had noticed wild camping yesterday along the Bruce Trail. At the base of Anthea’s waterfall, they were
sitting on boulders in the water amid the rocky stream bed in swimsuits cooling
off. They must have passed us camping
at one point yesterday evening and hiked on. Waiting for our water to be
drinkable, we chatted for a few minutes about our time on the BTC. As it turns
out, these young ladies have been thru-hiking and wild-camping the full length
of the Bruce Trail since leaving Queenston Heights 20 days ago!
After
comparing tales from the trail, we gave them our extra day’s worth of freeze-dried backpacker meals and saying our goodbyes, continued on. There we were, trekking the Bruce Trail and
being uncertain about wild camping over the span of two or three nights, while
these intrepid ladies had made it work over the course of almost an entire
month.
The Wrong Sign
At one
point in our trek this morning we came across a wooden sign stating that we were
221 km to Tobermory and 664 km from Niagara Falls. While this is exciting news, these numbers
seemed somewhat suspect to us. Our
current estimates suggested that we had somewhere between 340 and 350
kilometres left before reaching Tobermory and that we had hiked some 550
kilometres since leaving Niagara Falls. Perhaps this sign was installed prior
to some change in the Bruce Trail, or perhaps it was the result of an
optimistic resident striving to encourage northbound hikers? Either way, we were undoubtedly closer to our
destination than our point of departure, and it was a nice reminder of that.
Ending Beaver Valley, Beginning Sydenham
Within
minutes of leaving Anthena’s Falls, we emerged from a small treed plantation
onto Grey Rd 12. This innocuous
concession is the home of the Village of Blantyre, and the dividing line
between the Beaver Valley and Sydenham sections of the Bruce Trail. Standing there on the side of the road, our
best guess was that we had now covered just over 60% of the Bruce Trail from
Niagara Falls to Blantyre!
The
historic hamlet of Blantyre – so named in the BTC guidebook – is today only a
handful of homes and a dot on the map along a concession. Yet, in the nineteenth century, it was
purportedly a booming settlement which included two blacksmith shops, weaving
houses, and a regional postmaster. So
quiet and quaint is this area today that one wonders whether it really would
have been improved by being developed into some sprawling community, or whether
the peacefulness is a better reward for its local residents. Having undertaken our hike across the Bruce
Trail to escape the hustle and bustle of the cities to the south, I love
regions such as this one, which give way to room to stretch and explore.
Rocklyn Creek Management Area
In the
process of crossing the roadway and passing through Blantyre, the main route of
the Bruce Trail navigates down a farmer’s driveway beside a recently plowed
field. Soon afterwards, the trail took us back into the bush as we wove through
the forested landscape. Our elation at having completed the Beaver Valley section
of the Bruce Trail made it feel as though we glided through the final 3.3
kilometres across the beginning ofthe Sydenham section and into Rocklyn Creek
Management Area.
Some 20
minutes later we arrived at one of the few BTC camping areas – the Ambrose
Campsite. There we found an actual
wooden shelter with a spray-painted white BTC logo on its side, as well as a
water source. This camping area was nice
and well-used but was unfortunately filled with junk and empty water
bottles. Despite the garbage and rough
nature of the site, we took a few moments to rest and take off our soaked
hiking shoes. Before heading out, we
took the opportunity to give back, and using two of our stuff sacks we set
about collecting as much of the garbage and wrappers as we could. We would carry them out and dispose of this
waste properly, off-trail.
Pushing
on, we continued through the forested region, climbing uphill and meandering
amid fallen branches. We soon arrived
on Deviation Rd and retrieved our rental car, which thankfully was no worse
for wear despite having been left alone for a few days.
Beaver Valley Completed
We ended
our sectional thru-hike upon arriving at the western boundary of Rocklyn Creek
Management Area. While we had thought of
legally camping in Rocklyn Creek for a final night, we were both exhausted and
desperate for proper food and a shower.
With this in mind, and with the Beaver Valley Section completed, we
promptly unstrapped our backpacks and tossed them with delight into the vehicle
before driving the 35 kilometres to Owen Sound.
Once in the town we got a motel room, had a long-awaited shower, and
went out to celebrate.
Little
did we know that a simple mistake that evening would mix our moment of triumph
with an unfortunate and unnecessary time of loss.
Triumph and Loss
Sitting
down at a local restaurant, we were quick to order our meals and grab a couple
of pints to celebrate the completion of the Beaver Valley Section of the Bruce Trail! With a few days left before we needed to be
back home, we decided to use the time to push into the Sydenham section and
determined that we could get back to Owen Sound if we did so. Having come so far, we were eager to continue
on – such was our sense of triumph in the moment.
Unfortunately,
earlier in the evening, we had made a simple but stupid mistake. Having checked in and cleaned up before
setting out for dinner, we gave little thought to having left our cameras on the back seat and our hiking gear in the trunk of the rental car. As a result,
we were stunned when we returned to our rental car to find that one of the back
doors had been pried open by a thief.
Inside, the glove compartment had been gone through, and some spare
change had been taken, but the biggest loss was the fact that the camera gear – left
on the backseat – had been stolen. This
is why – for the blogs you are reading - there are so few pictures of our hike
across Beaver Valley over the past few entries. All we had to post was the few I took on my cell phone.
Devastated
at the loss of the camera, and frustrated by our own stupidity, and what it would
lead to, we fell into despair. The
situation quickly brought into question whether we should continue hiking on
the Bruce for the next few days - given that we couldn’t photograph it well or share
it. We soon drove the rental car back to our motel and walked back out to have
a few more beers – this time not in celebration, but out of frustration. We now had to make the tough
decision regarding whether to continue hiking or not.
Unfortunately,
this would not be the only source of frustration we experienced during our hike
of the Beaver Valley section. A second
loss would compound the first a week later when, after emailing the Bruce Trail
Conservancy with copies of our journals to request our Sectional Backpacking
patches, we were soundly informed that because we had wild-camped on the trail our
hike could not and absolutely would not be recognized. The email
went on to disparage us for taking such action, informing us that we were
selfish and had endangered the use of the Bruce Trail for countless others who
followed the rules.
Ultimately,
this meant two things. First, we will
not get a patch or credit for hiking the Beaver Valley section. And second, when we reach Tobermory our Bruce
Trail End-to-End will itself not be recognized, as we will have effectively not
completed the Beaver Valley section according to the BTC.
In some
ways, it seems as if our time hiking the Beaver Valley section, though naturally
beautiful and a wonderful experience, was simply not meant to be easy. Such is
life, and in the end, no trek is about the patch on the backpack, the certificate
on the wall, or the acknowledgement of others.
We can only ever hike for the time spent in nature and the personal
feeling of achievement. These things we
have in plenty and no one can take them away.
Onward,
Forward, Northward we continue.
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